Load shedding?

[m32825]

I need you guys to point me in the right direction. I'm interested in adding load shedding so my water heater drops out if either of our A/C units is going to start.

-- Carl

 

[Scoobyshep]

Oh now this is right up my alley.

How automatic do you want to go?

 

[Scoobyshep]

Oh now this is right up my alley.

How automatic do you want to go?

Hell, you're close enough I could help you wire it.

 

[m32825]

Lol, proximity for the win! I may take you up on that Scoobyshep, for now just point me in the right direction.

Switching to generator power is not automated at all. The generator lives in the garage most of the year, I just get it out for storm events. I'm fine with that part.

We back-feed the main panel and do manual load management. That works pretty well, but during the Milton outage I found myself flipping the water heater breaker more than I wanted. Automating that one thing would ensure we have hot water, help keep the genset loaded, make my water heater breaker last longer, and free me up from having to think about it.

I imagine there is a spectrum of possible solutions. That's where I could use some guidance.

-- Carl

 

[Mullaney]

Lol, proximity for the win! I may take you up on that Scoobyshep, for now just point me in the right direction.

Switching to generator power is not automated at all. The generator lives in the garage most of the year, I just get it out for storm events. I'm fine with that part.

We back-feed the main panel and do manual load management. That works pretty well, but during the Milton outage I found myself flipping the water heater breaker more than I wanted. Automating that one thing would ensure we have hot water, help keep the genset loaded, make my water heater breaker last longer, and free me up from having to think about it.

I imagine there is a spectrum of possible solutions. That's where I could use some guidance.

-- Carl

.
Well, unless you are taking baths and running hot water all day - The breaker for the water heater should be off 23 out of 24 hours a day. The water heater is the storage tank for 50? gallons of water. Maybe turn it on twice a day? An hour should recover the heater for sure...

.

 

[Scoobyshep]

The quick and dirty way: a programmable thermostat to disable the AC at set times then a timer on the water heater. I recommend timers on heaters to begin with as they help increase the efficiency. The down side here is they are not Interlocked together

 

[NDT]

Get a start time delay module for your A/C compressor, a 24 volt coil 30 amp contactor for the water heater, when your A/C thermostat calls for cool, the 24 volt signal needs to immediately drop out the water heater contactor, then seconds later the compressor contactor energizes.

 

[DieselAddict]

Raspberry Pi, home assistant, zigbee modem, zigbee relays to control devices. Zigbee sensors to give feedback for interlocks.

 

[m32825]

This forum does not disappoint: great suggestions!

For context, we have two separate living areas (parents on other end of house), total of six people on a 50 gallon hot water heater. Two separate AC units, 3 ton and 3.5 ton. Automation for consistent hot water supply in the midst of a power outage is surely a first-world problem, but seems like a refinement that's within reach. I just spent three days doing it manually, would be nice to have one less thing to think about.

I've done some Raspberry Pi stuff in the past, and might circle back on that if other home automation crops up. The delay module (which I didn't know existed) sounds like a good building block. I don't know the right symbols, but something like below?

-- Carl